George Bright already knew me when I walked into his office. I did not know him but he knew me as the face of our college’s a cappella group. I was honored and a little surprised that I had a fan in the athletic department, I am not an athlete, but Bright told me he is a musician in addition to his work as Athletic Director.
Bright is the first person I have interviewed who is involved in one of the fields I associate with those currently in the focus of the media, athletics. Bright, however, is much more than an athlete or a man involved in sports, he is well rounded and involved. He works hard in the Easton community where he was born to improve youth groups, clean up the streets, and promote his faith through his church.
He agreed with my points about the media needing to include minorities succeeding in business, politics, and fields outside of celebrities. We talked about how there are many case examples, like President Obama, but that minorities are not consistently represented. He mentioned the heroes he had growing up, both celebrities and intellectuals, and we talked about how these people who gave back to their people were powerful role models. We noted to contrast between these men, like Bill Cosby, and many of today’s celebrities.
Bright talked about how to inspire the media to recognize the upper-middle class minorities and how to expose young people to their existence, we must pass the torch. Kids need to be informed about the impact of a college education and their ability to achieve success beyond high school. I was honored that Bright included me when he said that our leaders need to empower the youth.